Search Posts
"At your convenience, of course," Scabb replies with a rudimentary bow. "I'll see Ishana pointed your way." With the acquiescence of Braddon and his large blade, he solicits the assistance of the other pirates to lift the wounded man into the boat. The shingle where he lay is bloodstained, but it looks as if the stony beach pressed into his wet shirt has largely stanched his belly wound. He looks fair to survive, given a healer's attention.
"They're ... a family business," Brett replies. "Buy and sell, move goods from place to place as cheaply as possible. No desire to share profits with Gaston Cromarcky and his concern.""Well, they attacked us, so the family business is a dead loss. Anyway, I think you can go now. We'll see Ishana tomorrow, or I'll be seeing you next week." Braddon gives the man a knowing wink. "Tomorrow, at the Fish and Fortune," Scabb repeats obligingly. "Any particular time of day?" He suggests that the signal flag be lowered before the jollyboat starts back. "When we've picked up the goods, we lower the flag to let them know in the Churlwood," he explains. "If the Teeth sees it still flying, they'll be suspicious. At the least, they'll send someone back to lower it if we 'forgot.'"
"They? Oh, those other guys we killed. What can you tell us about they?" "They're ... a family business," Brett replies. "Buy and sell, move goods from place to place as cheaply as possible. No desire to share profits with Gaston Cromarcky and his concern." Phillip: Scabb's answer is evasive. He obviously bears greater loyalty to the Sczarni than to the crew of the Teeth of Araska.
"The Fish and Fortune?" Scabb replies to Tendal's suggestion. "Fair enough. Not one of Ishana's usual haunts, but I can see you gentlemen have discriminating tastes. You'll know her when you see her. Not a lot of Garundi women in these parts."
"Where should I tell her to look for you? I mean, I could suggest somewhere, but I wouldn't want to be accused of setting you up for an ambush." "How does this flag work?" He shrugs. "Not much to it. It's raised when there's cargo to pick up, coming or going. If we didn't raise it dropping something off, they must have raised it leaving something to be taken aboard."
"Look, the Teeth isn't going to let you just come aboard," the pirate argues, "and you can't talk to Ishana in front of the whole crew. Cap'n Grudge won't hear a word against his tiefling piece, and Ishana will deny everything in public. What do you think is going to happen if you row out there to the ship? How are you going to keep them from filling the jollyboat with crossbow bolts and retrieving it at their leisure when you're all fish food?"
Snake lets out a slight chuckle at Scabb's idea. "Yeah, because we're just that stupid. Okay, you know that's not how it's gonna work, bub. You either come up with a way for all of us to meet her - including you in case you didn't get that - or I let this one here do what he does best, as you've already witnessed." He motions to the probably dead guy who continues to lie in a pool of his own blood. "Because you aren't leaving here with your crew. If anything, we get rid of the rest of your scum crew and we become your crew. How's that sound? If that's no good you better come up with something great because that one there," he motions to Braddon, "is just itching for a fight. I know this because he's always itching for a fight. But it's up to you. All I know is one way or another, you're either going to help us in a way that works for us, or we'll find another way ourselves and we won't be concerned in the least about you or your crew any longer," he tells him plainly, uncaring as to whether or not he catches the underlying message. "See, here's the problem," Scabb replies conversationally. "Ishana is on the ship, and I'm on the shore. Without returning to the ship, I have no way to speak to her and set up your meeting."
"Absolutely," Scabb agrees eagerly. "You put us back in our boat, and I'll let Ishana know to meet you in the Cove. Anywhere in particular you gentlemen have in mind?"
"Oh it is you Scabb... who has stolen from me. A silver only, but one cannot let the size of the crime define it. I'd wager it worth a finger..." crossbow still pointing at the ground, but hands tight about it's stock. "Your friend there's just taken a very nice dagger," Scabb points out with a polite smile. "Worth far more than a silver. My gift to you." "I think the captain will know something happened, unless we put this guys guts back in." "He's clumsy. Fell on a sharp rock. Happens all the time." Brett Scabb's smile is starting to grow a little desperate.
"I assume the ship is in harbour now?" "Well, not 'now' per se," Scabb replies glancing out to sea, "seeing as how she's waiting on us to come back in the jollyboat. You can't take on unauthorized cargo at the wharf, right under the harbormaster's nose, after all. I imagine Cap'n Grudge is getting a mite impatient right about now and wondering if he should send another boat full of men to see what we're taking our time about. And you wouldn't want to talk to Ishana on board anyway, right under the captain's eyes. He won't hear a word against the devil-woman. But I could arrange a little meeting of like minds back in port ... I mean, assuming we all part on friendly terms here. There's nothing Brett Scabb won't do for a friend." He beams around at the group. "What do the family do to a man who is guilty of theft?" "That depends on who's doing the thieving, and from whom." (Phil thinks the pirate's grin grows a little nervous.)
"Who's Ishana?" "Cap'n Grudge's woman. Well, used to be, anyway. Ship's healer. One woman you sure as hells do not want to cross. If I was that tiefling, I'd watch my back." "And does your Captain know he is Marzo's lapdog?" Scabb raises his eyebrows at Phillip's assertion. "I don't pretend to know what's on the captain's mind," he responds, "but from where I bunk, they have a business arrangement. The Teeth gets paid for her services just like if it was cargo going through the harbor ... and a little extra for not letting the harbormaster take a cut."
"What day was she back at Riddleport?" He screws up his face and does some mental arithmetic. "Took her back on Oathday. Of course, we didn't take her in through the harbor." He grins craftily. "Got word that Riddleport was a little hot for her, so we took on water and weighed anchor again. Captain took her in east of town in the jollyboat." "And I assume the Immortal Goat is one of your crew's lurks? - are there others?" He shrugs. "Anywhere that serves grog and hasn't kicked us out yet."
Scabb hesitates a moment, as if weighing whatever loyalty he might owe to Lil Scarlet against the armed men around him, then shrugs and answers. "She came aboard in Riddleport last week. Cruised around a bit and did some business, then dropped anchor off Devil's Elbow. Crew didn't like it; it's supposed to be haunted; but the captain took her ashore in a jolly boat. Ishana was spitting fire the whole time they were gone; thought she'd scorch holes in the sail. The pair of them came back before sunset, and we took her back to Riddleport."
"I got nothing to do with her," Scabb protests to Braddon. "You think she tells me anything? You think she ever speaks to me? Or anyone else in the crew? Straight to the captain's cabin and doesn't come out till we make landfall. Boarding and disembarking is the only time I see her."
Tendal:
You haven't heard the name Ishana in relation to the House of the Silken Veil. Phillip:
You've overheard the name bandied about in the Dragon's Hoard by drunken sailors: boasting about past lascivious conquests that their fellows seem to discount, or daring a winner cashing out to approach and proposition her. A captain's woman of some repute, clearly the more titillating for being so thoroughly off-limits. "'Cute?'" Brett Scabb barks a laugh as well as he can with a knife at his throat. "It'd be the first time I'd heard her called that. Now look," he addresses Phil deprecatingly, "are you working for Ishana or against her? Because you have to know I've got nothing to do with the tiefling's business, if you're looking for vengeance, and if you're looking to hurt her, Besmara knows she cares nothing for my fate, nor any of ours." Braddon finds a rather nice dagger slipped inside the man's boot and removes it. Tendal inexpertly trusses one of the unconscious men and regards his handiwork doubtfully. A pirate is shaped rather differently than a capon....
Stepping out from the shadows as Braddon looks to disarm Scabb, the halfling keeps his crossbow loaded and while not aimed directly... it definitely wouldn't take much movement to set it neck-wards. With a wry and self-satisfied smirk on his face he adds "Oh grudge is such a pedestrian word for the Wasp Queen's work... you are known to me Brett Scabb, does recollection cross your mind to see me?" He frowns. "This is Ishana's work?" he ventures. Phillip:
You see a look of concern with a soupcon of fear cross his face when you mention the Wasp Queen ... but not a trace of recognition. He must have grifted innumerable vulnerable-looking people in Riddleport, not to mention other ports, in his time.
The bearded man, overtaken by circumstances, slowly and carefully raises his empty hands in the air. "You have any particular grudge against us," he asks pleasantly, "or is this just random banditry?"
Phillip lets all pretense of friendliness and joviality drop from his voice at Brett's attempt at continued extortion "Now you are beginning to test my patience. From your own tongue a fee of four coppers for both passengers was given. I do not look with kindness upon those that do not hold their word." "Calm yourself there, little friend," Brett replies, his hands patting the air soothingly. "Fare is per passenger, not per trip. I had no suspicion the gentleman was on your payroll; I assumed you was each paying your own way. If a man tells me a mug of ale is 4 coppers, I don't expect Syd here to get a free drink just because I buy one."
Sarien:
You feel that these men are less than trustworthy businessmen, if any of those exist within Riddleport. While their ill intent may not extend to murder, Brett Scabb expects to get the more advantageous end of this transaction. "Four coppers from your friend," Brett smiles after pocketing Phillip's coins, extending his open palm toward Sarien. "After all, Syd and me can't share that mug of ale."
Holding hands wide and questioning of Brett, Phillip puts an overly wounded sound to his voice as he beseeches the boat borne gent "Surely you would not seek to charge those that seek to become your friends? I thought we could while away the time with words and thoughts and part as comrades. Then when next we passed upon the river... why I could shake your hand once more..." words left hanging in the air to see if the riverman was either canny enough to connect the intentions... or rogue enough to seek to extort. "Well, you must come from a much more civilized place than your friend," Brett grins at the halfling. "If it were just me, I'd be happy to take you anywhere you want to go on a handshake. But you see, it's not just me. Syd and me is in this together and go halvesies on the fare we earn, and while I could be satisfied with a handshake, it's not exactly something I can split with Syd, if you get my meaning." Phillip: Brett Scabb has no intention of sharing the silver piece with Syd or even letting him know of its existence.
"The name's Sarien," he says diffidently. "You'll have to pardon me but where I come from, an arrangement is made before boarding. It wouldn't be proper for me to take a step onto another's property until terms have been agreed upon." "Why, you must come from a mighty inhospitable place," Brett replies, tossing the rope loosely around the piling before leaning his elbow on his knee and gazing up at Sarien. "Here in Riddleport, folks can always come to some kind of agreement; we're agreeable people. How's this? We'll take you and your friend to the River District for 4 coppers, the cost of a mug of ale; you can't say that's not reasonable." |
